Checking baggage and locking it?

[BKP]

my akona bag has a sleve that fits over it so it looks a bit less exciting. but i think it just makes me feel good and doesn't do a bit of good.

i suppose if you put explosive stickers on it people would be scared to mess with it right?

it seems that criminals probably get better $$ for things like computers and jewelry though. they sell much better on 'the street' where as a hot set of regs probably don't sell as well at the swap meet. criminals are in it for the easy deal.

I have the Akona with the sleeve as well... Last trip the bag came back with the sleeve torn to hell. I think the "security sleeve" is a dead giveaway advertisement.

Of course, the larger unsleeved bag was the one that came back with the tire tread marks on it... (Nope... not kidding).

Next trip is a non-descript hardcase.

 

[ArcticDiver]

Unfortunately, there is no safe way to lock your baggage. I work at a major international airport and have seen many cases where TSA agents were the ones stealing items from your luggage. If you use a TSA approved lock, it only makes it easier for them to steal your gear. Best way is to get the least flashy luggage and blend in. There is no reason why they should open your luggage after it's been x-rayed and loaded on the belt. Most of the thefts happens when your luggage is waiting to be loaded on the plane. I've seen items such as laptops, cameras, entire set of golf clubs, etc. stolen by baggage loaders. 99 percent of aiport employees are honest hard working people. But that other 1 percent commit 99 percent of aiport theft.

Are you in a position to make the actual arrest when you see this?

If not did you report the crime to the airport police?

If neither, did you at least report the crime to the TSA agent's supervisor?

If you did nothing; why?

 

[dry heat diver]

We traveled to Australia in September via LAX from Phoenix. Any TSA lock is approved. However, we found it helpful to use both a TSA lock and a plastic quick tie so we could tell at a glance if the TSA had cut off the quick tie to open the bag. Also, we have a friend who has lost two dive knives during TSA bag searches.

 

[DandyDon]

A year or two ago I did a survey regarding theft of dive equipment, and it indicated that although people are pretty much afraid of it happening, it is actually an extremely rare occurence. Thieves are apparently not really excited about the possibility of fencing a BCD. I think we worry about it too much.

The only person I know who used a TSA-approved lock had it cut open by TSA.

Travelling through Palau, Yap, and other islands a few weeks ago, where they hand check everything in front of you, I watched the zip tie people cut open and refasten all their zip ties over and over and over and over and over and over.... Not for me.

My sense is that if they want your stuff, they will take it, and there is nothing you are going to put on it that will make a bit of difference.

Yeah this has been covered well on the Travel forum, but it doesnt hurt to review it now and then. Maybe a Mod will move this to General Travel.

jdvaughn does not tell us where s/he is traveling to Florida from, and that might help. I'm flying to Florida Saturday, locking nothing. My Regs, computers, masks, and whatever else I can pack goes in my roll on; cameras in my back pack, as rolls ons get thrown around some. But yeah my bags look like scuba bags, as I think they're the least likely to be stolen. Makes them easier to locate if lost, and I do tie some bright ribbones on them so I can spot them among 300 others.

If I travel on an international flight where airline baggage liability is much less, I have Trip Ins.

 

[BKP]

My Regs, computers, masks, and whatever else I can pack goes in my roll on; cameras in my back pack, as rolls ons get thrown around some. But yeah my bags look like scuba bags, as I think they're the least likely to be stolen.

I don't necessarily disagree... just interested in hearing why you think this.

 

[DandyDon]

I don't necessarily disagree... just interested in hearing why you think this.

I don't think that luggage thieves are very interested in used scbua equipment. It'd be pretty hard to fence.

 

[all4scuba05]

so can I get trip insurance and instead of paying for my yearly reg service, just label my travel bag with the words "expensive dive equipment", and then buy new regs every year with the trip insurance money?

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't think that luggage thieves are very interested in used scbua equipment. It'd be pretty hard to fence.

I fully agree. As expensive as we find our BCD's, fins, and wet suits, luggage thieves are not all that interested in them They are relatively hard to unload, and they don't get much of a return for their efforts. When they steal stuff, they are looking for a quick and anonymous way to get rid of the stuff, and there aren't many quick "no questions asked" places to dump that stuff off. Do you think your average LDS deals in individually stolen items? How about the online stores? I doubt if Leisure Pro or Scuba Toys would buy a used wet suit from some guy pulling up to the back door in a station wagon.

Do you buy equipment in pawn shops?

As I said earlier, I think people are going to a lot of trouble to prevent something from happening that is already an extremely remote possibility.

 

[boulderjohn]

so can I get trip insurance and instead of paying for my yearly reg service, just label my travel bag with the words "expensive dive equipment", and then buy new regs every year with the trip insurance money?

Well....

Here's an analogous situation.

DO you know the two guys who do that PBS show on car maintenance? They have a newspaper column as well. People frequently ask them about the best car alarm/anti-theft device for their car, and they always respond this way: insurance.

 

[noobascooba]

I heard a rumor that if you pack a firearm in your case it gets hand searched at check in then securely locked and labled up so noone gets to open it after check in. You can buy a non-deadly starter pistol and that would still count as a firearm. I've not looked into how much hassle this would be, but my boyfriend was seriously considering it because he has had stuff stolen from his luggage several times (not dive gear though)... if you are REALLY serious about your luggage being unmolested it might be worth considering